Whisky 101

THE WHISKY MAKING PROCESS

Preparation

Various grains are ground and cooked. Barley is malted, a process of soaking the barley and spreading it for about three weeks, allowing it to sprout, before drying and heating it.

Mashing

The cooked grain and /or malted barley are added to warm water, which converts into a liquid known as mash.

Fermenting

The mash is added to a fermentation tank, along with yeast. The yeast converts the starch to sugar and then to alcohol. After three or four days, the resulting liquid is about 10% ABV and is known as distiller’s beer, or wash.

Distilling

The wash is heated to the point where the alcohol turns to vapour, but the water remains liquid. The alcohol is then collected in a second container. This process is repeated to produce ‘high wine’ or ‘new whisky.’

Ageing

Water is added to the high wine, which is aged in wooden barrels, usually made from white oak. Here the whisky ages for at least three or four years but most are aged up to ten or more years.

Bottling

The resulting whisky is stored in glass bottles, which do not react with the whisky's flavour.

WHISKY VS WHISKEY

The Scots spell it ‘whisky’ whilst the Irish and Americans add the ‘e’. It is believed the Irish added the ‘e’ to differentiate themselves from the Scots, as they viewed their whiskey as superior. The ‘e’ was taken to the United States by Irish immigrants in the 1700s and has been used ever since.

SCOTCH WHISKY STYLES

SINGLE MALT

Single malt whisky is made at one distillery, using only malted barley and pot still distillation. Single malts are like fine wine, each is very unique and tells a story of a place and a time. Single malt Scotch must be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks and this model is often used internationally with countries like New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Ireland also producing fine single malts.

GRAIN

Grain whisky refers to any whisky made from grain that isn’t malted barley, such as those made using maize (corn), wheat or rye. Grain whiskies are distilled in a column still, generally making them lighter in style. This is how American whiskeys and Bourbons are usually made.

BLENDED

A blended Scotch whisky is a mix of malt and grain whisky and is the perfect entry point to the world of whisky. By law, blended Scotch whisky has to be matured in oak for at least three years.

HOW TO DRINK WHISKY

NEAT

Pure, undiluted and unadulterated, the way the whisky/whiskey is presented from the distillery. True purists always taste their whisky neat first and assess the spirit, before potentially adding water to open and soften the alcoholic content.

WATER

Adding a few drops of water allows the whisky to open up. Use room temperature mineral water. This reduces the alcohol strength on your palate and can bring out further flavours and aromas.

ON THE ROCKS

Be wary of adding too much ice as this will dilute your whisky, reducing the flavour, aroma and intensity far beyond just a few drops. Ensure ice cubes are made with good quality water and are even in size.

MIXED DRINKS

Primarily blended whiskies are used here. These are whiskies used in your whisky and dry, whisky and soda and also cocktails such as the Whisky Sour or Old Fashioned.

WHAT GIVES WHISKY ITS FLAVOUR?

Maturation has the most significant impact on the flavour of whisky. Water, fermentation, distillation and type of grain also have an impact.It is important to note whisky only ages in wood. Once it is bottled, it does not age any further.

The two most common types of casks used are American oak (Quercus Alba) Bourbon barrels 250L and Spanish oak (Quercus Robus)Sherry butts 500L. American oak brings the vanilla and sweet oak character (thanks to the charring process in American whiskey) whereasSpanish oak brings dry spice and sweet fruit characters thanks to the previous 30+ years that the casks have contained Sherry.